The HIV epidemic disproportionately affects the Southern U.S., where 51% of new HIV diagnoses occurred in 2013. Despite substantial progress along the continuum of care, HIV remains a major health concern in the South, particularly for young, Black gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex men (MSM), and transgender women. Our new publication “HIV Prevention in the South: Reducing Stigma, Increasing Access” presents four strategic elements for preventing the further spread of HIV among vulnerable populations in the South, and suggests a more hopeful future for reducing the HIV epidemic.
Learning Resources — HIV/STI Treatment and Prevention
Transgender Women and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention: What We Know and What We Still Need to Know
The National Center for Innovation in HIV Care
Transgender women are at elevated risk of becoming infected with HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention (PrEP) is effective in reducing the risk of HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM), heterosexual men and women, and people who inject drugs (PWID). While transgender women have been included in some clinical trials of PrEP, no study has shown PrEP to be effective in reducing transgender women’s HIV risk.
Protecting Yourself from HIV through Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): What You Need to Know
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the use of an HIV treatment medication for HIV-negative people at high risk of getting HIV through sexual exposure. Known as “pre-exposure prophylaxis”—or PrEP—this medication is a once-a-day pill to be used in combination with condoms and other safer sex behavioral strategies to reduce risk. Protecting Yourself from HIV through PrEP informs consumers about PrEP and how it works, as well as other ways they can work with their health care providers to protect themselves against HIV.
Emerging Clinical Issue: Hepatitis C Infection in HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex with Men
Approximately 3.2 million individuals in the United States are infected with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. While injection drug use is the most common mode of transmission, growing evidence indicates that the virus is also being spread through sexual contact, particularly among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). In this clinical brief, we review what is known about the epidemiology of HCV among HIV-infected MSM, as well as current screening, treatment, and prevention recommendations for HCV.
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- HIV/STI Treatment and Prevention
Promoting HPV Vaccine To Prevent Genital Warts and Cancers
Human papilloma virus (HPV), one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, is preventable through a vaccine now recommended for all females and males age 11 to 26. However, vaccination rates remain low in the U.S., in part because only one-third of doctors prescribe the vaccine to eligible patients. HPV infection can lead to genital warts and certain types of cancer. This brief provides an analysis of the current state of HPV vaccination rates in the U.S., finding them lagging well behind other countries, where vaccination campaigns have been more successful.
